Colonial Campaigns Club (CCC)

After an extended brawl at Pottes (SDC 55, a neat little scenario featuring early 18th century European armies on the Monmouth map), Colonel McClellan and I have moved on to the full 1758 campaign of F&I. What a campaign start - I was instantly presented with no less then five options all of which made sense in a way and were illustrated with really informative map sketches - the system has come quite a ways from the binary choices and the maps of 1776 and 1812 that are really more decorative than anything else. [8D]

I chose the seaborne attack on the mouth of the St. Lawrence and learned that my troop transports were attacked by a large French fleet and, alas!, many of them were sunk. Still, now my own fleet is engaging Gary's fleet off Louisbourg in one gigantic maritime brawl. Both being naval officers in our other (NCC) live, Gary and I will now of course closely scrutinize how well the system portrays naval warfare on the grand scale - I always loved the British ships in 1776 and 1812 scenarios, but mainly because it's especially nice to have invulnerable floating grand batteries that take out 20 grunts with each salvo when the bad guys have none. [:D] Now we'll see how ships fare against other ships. I have already figured out that you get no points for sinking them, just as in 1776.

Louisbourg is a very nice, very large map, too ... so far I am quite impressed with F&I.

Glad to hear your initial reactions Dierk, hope they hold up after "first contact". [8)]

Ernie and I are also engaged in this branch of the campaign...he's advancing down the coast with his troops while gradually pressing in with his navy. My coastal guns are coming into action now, will be interesting to see if the British fleet will get an effective force inside the harbor to pound on Louisbourg itself.

For the ships...it is a lot better to have two navies on the board to even things out, but I will admit that the modeling is still very basic. This is, after all, a land based game with the naval element added in for flavor. We'll see what the future holds though.

Rich

Dierk,

I'm fighting at Louisburg as first battle too. Don't expect to much form the Navy. There accuracy is not the best. Rich, is it possible to take enemy ships with a melee? Would be fine[:D]

Stefan,

Yes you can take ships by melee. It is an automatic victory. You must do it with infantry or cavalry that has a B next to its movement factor.

It will look odd as a canoe, with as few as 1 man can overrun even the biggest ship.

No victory points earned or lost for it, but it does remove the ship from the battle.

My hope is to destroy as many of the land-based artillery, using my ships. We have exchanged several turns worth of ship fire and British ships seem to have an advantage in the number of guns knocked out of French ships. In addition, the forward French land guns have taken some punishment, mostly in the form of fatigue, but some knocked out of service.

The land battle is well done. (I lost 1/2 my fleet, also) As I move down the coast, I am engaging the harrassing Indians and hope to isolate and mop up with later troops. Of course, now that Rich knows this [:D], he might run them away.[}:)]

This scenario takes some planning, as the British cannot afford to rush down the coast, as supply lines will be vulnerable to sneaky attacks by lurking Indians and militia. (When you think of it, not much has changed in the 245 years or so since this French and Indian War.)

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Al Amos</i>
<br />Stefan,

Yes you can take ships by melee. It is an automatic victory. You must do it with infantry or cavalry that has a B next to its movement factor.

It will look odd as a canoe, with as few as 1 man can overrun even the biggest ship.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Al,
oh, I never will do this. Looking for my like cheating. I was thinking that I can boarding with some "Ships of the Line".

[quote
This scenario takes some planning, as the British cannot afford to rush down the coast, as supply lines will be vulnerable to sneaky attacks by lurking Indians and militia. (When you think of it, not much has changed in the 245 years or so since this French and Indian War.)[/quote]

Ernie, I hope you do not thinking on Iraq?[:D] A great (US)army with brain death (political) Leaders. Which will lead us back the the French in 1758.[^]